Bridging the Gap Between Pickup and Microphone

August 9, 2017

We have heard this question asked on numerous occasions, so much so that we can almost see the confused look on people's faces over the phone or email. So is the Myers Pickup actually an instrument pickup? Or is it, in fact, an instrument microphone.

It's both. I know that does not help. However, I believe if we dive into the origin of the name we will in fact see that this is not just an instrument pickup and it is not just an instrument microphone, but a combination of the best parts of each one.

Instrument Pickups

Pickups have been used on many different instruments. Most are built-in to a guitar or a resonator and some are made to pick up the sound of your acoustic instrument that has no pickup previously installed into it. The positives to pickups are that they can be attached to your instrument, giving you the freedom to move around while still catching the sound of your instrument of choice. We loved this fact about pickups because we have seen on numerous occasions the need to move around when an artist is performing on stage and feel the music that they are playing. It is almost second nature to move and sway along with the rhythm of the song. When we decided to come up with our version of a pickup, we knew that this freedom was a necessity. We also knew that we wanted the pickup to be removable and easy to swap between other instruments of various kinds. This way, a musician can play an acoustic guitar, then remove the pickup and place it on an upright bass for the next song and also move it to a banjo to finish off a set. Music and freedom has always gone together and we weren't going to split that up! The only down side to pickups, as any musician will tell you who has ever tried to mic their instrument, is that the sound can be terrible. An acoustic instrument all of a sudden can sound tinny and empty. The brilliant sound of a violin becomes almost electrical and dull. The banjo doesn't pop with each hit of the string. When you mention using a pickup to mic someone's acoustic instrument, the reaction is almost always negative. So what could we do to keep the freedom and mobility of a pickup but get a natural and true sound?

Instrument Microphones

Unlike pickups, microphones have the capability to keep the authentic sound of an instrument. From overhead microphones to wireless microphones and even to microphones small enough to stick on your shirt for an interview, these devices are used in numerous places because they capture the true sound of whatever noise is pushed into it. A fiddle player standing in front of a microphone can spread the natural and sweet sound across an entire room. So why not make a microphone instead of a pickup? The downside to using a microphone is that most of the time, they are stationary. The slightest movement will cause your sound to grow or fade away and the consistency is almost impossible to achieve. We knew we needed the true, authentic sound of a microphone. We wanted our customers to hear their instrument as they heard it acoustically. We wanted a banjo to sound like a banjo. A resonator guitar to sound like the a resonator guitar. A violin to sound like a violin. Just louder.

As with every model in our Feather Series, our original Feather allows incredible versatility. Mounts on almost any instrument without need for modifications.

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To solve this problem, we created a pickup system that achieved the clarity of tone by using a microphone, but we also built the unit to be easily attachable and removable to provide ultimate freedom. Now you get the best of both of both worlds. Capture your instrument's true sound while being able to move and groove with your music without any type of fluctuation in sound. We included a 1/4" jack input so you can easily plug into any amp or P.A. system, and we made sure to have a volume knob so you were in complete control of your sound. So when you ask yourself, "Isn't it a pickup because of the name? I mean, it uses a microphone so is it a mic?" you can now understand that we are both because we wanted to give you everything you look for in sound and everything you look for in ease and convenience.